The proposed project is to obtain equipment that utilizes the most modern technological advances in order to update our laser capture microdissection (LCM) equipment. LCM is a technology for isolating pure populations of cells from tissue sections. Cells can be collected based on morphologic or immunohistologic features. Most tissues or even tumors are heterogeneous with different cell types locked in morphologic units exhibiting strong adhesive interactions with adjacent cells, connective stroma, blood vessels, glandular and muscle components, adipose cells, and inflammatory or immune cells. In normal or developing organs, specific cells express different genes and undergo changes according to internal control signals, signals from adjacent cells, and external signals such as hormones or growth factors. In disease pathologies, the diseased cells of interest, such as pre- cancerous cells or invading groups of cancer cells, are surrounded by heterogeneous tissue elements. Cell types undergoing similar molecular changes, such as those thought to be most definitive of the disease progression, may constitute a minority of the volume of the tissue biopsy sample. Information from microdissected cells is therefore more likely to represent the true pattern of gene expression of the pure cell subpopulations of interest in their actual tissue context. This technology has been particularly useful in developmental biology and cancer biology, and recently LCM has also proven instrumental in the study of stem cell biology (see project of major user Dennis Roop). We established LCM as a service offered via our Cancer Center Pathology Core Shared Resource Facility in 2004. We describe the research of several key users of the instrument at our institution as well as a broader use by members of our Cancer Center. Dr. Wilbur Franklin will chair the Advisory Committee responsible for productive, efficient and equitable use of the system. Dr. Jennifer Richer will be responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the equipment and user training. Productive use will be assured because of the infrastructure of the Cancer Center Pathology Core already in place and a talented and productive group of researchers that now utilize the older version of laser capture microdissection instrumentation. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed project is to obtain equipment that represents the most modern technological advances to update our laser capture microdissection (LCM) capabilities. LCM is a technology for isolating pure populations of cells of interest from mixed populations. This technology is not only important for understanding normal developmental biology, but also numerous diseases including cancer.